A little run-in between Ovechkin and Blue Jackets winger/agitator Derek Dorsett on Saturday went mostly unnoticed: Dorsett ran Ovechkin, Ovechkin got in his face, the two received matching minors, then everybody went home to celebrate New Year's Eve. But now Dorsett is accusing Ovechkin of spitting on him during the fracas.

"I haven't told many people this but he spit in my face," Dorsett said. "That got me a little more mad.

"That's why I was yelling at the ref so much and yelling at him in the penalty box. I find that pretty disrespectful. That's probably one of the most disrespectful things someone can do, especially a guy who is the best player in the league. It's classless. He's supposed to be a role model for the game. It's unbelievable."

Watching video of the play, there's no smoking gun. Ovechkin gives Dorsett a shot, then it's mostly jawing. Dorsett never reacts like he got a glob in the grill, though at the end he does reach to his face. To remove a mouthguard or wipe himself off, it's not clear.